Study Shows Eating Half an Avocado Decreases Hunger

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) has announced publication of a study that suggests adding one-half of a fresh avocado to a lunch may have helped 26 healthy, overweight people feel more satisfied and reduced their desire to eat following a meal.

The avocado study, which was conducted by researchers at the Loma Linda University and funded by HAB, was published in Nutrition Journal, a monthly peer-reviewed journal that publishes work in the area of human nutrition. The human clinical study is the second in a series of HAB-funded nutrition studies expected to be released over the coming years as a part of HAB’s single-minded nutrition marketing and research strategy.

Researchers found that study participants who added half of a fresh Hass avocado to their lunch reported a significantly decreased desire to eat by 40% over a three-hour period, and by 28% over a five-hour period after the meal, compared to their desire to eat after a standard lunch without avocado. In addition, they reported increased feelings of hunger satisfaction by 26% over the three hours following the meal.

“HAB has found that more and more retailers are communicating health information to customers to help them make smart eating choices,” says Emilano Escobedo, executive director, Hass Avocado Board. “The nutrition research conducted by HAB is an important program that will help retailers accomplish that goal.”

“Satiety is an important factor in weight management, because people who feel satisfied are less likely to eat between meals,” says Joan Sabaté, MD, DrPH, Chair of the Department of Nutrition who led the research team at Loma Linda University. “We also noted that though adding Hass avocados increased participants’ calorie and carbohydrate intake at lunch, there was no increase in blood sugar levels beyond what was observed after eating the lunch without avocado. This leads us to believe that Hass avocados potential role in blood sugar management is worth further investigation.”

While the findings were generally positive, more research is needed to determine whether the conclusions drawn from this study can be applied to the general public. However, the results do provide promising clues and a basis for future research to determine Hass avocados’ effect on satiety, glucose and insulin response, say officials at HAB.

“The publication of this study indicates a continued step forward for HAB’s nutrition research program,” says Escobedo. “We are confident that the program will continue to strengthen the positioning of Hass Avocados in the market.”

The research at Loma Linda University is one of several studies supported by HAB as part of a research program established in 2010. Clinical studies are currently underway to investigate the relationship between avocado consumption and risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, support of weight management and healthy living with top researchers and universities in the United States.